Inevitable
by Shjody
Summary: When the wizarding world is confronted with the Dark Lord's daughter it's hard to say what they will do. Will she be used as a weapon in the greatest wizarding war in history? Or will she be hunted down, a liability they cannot afford? Alex Thompson has choices to make. A certain dark haired witch doesn't make them any easier.
1. Chapter 1: What lies beyond the maze

**I think you probably already know this, but I do not own any of this. Not one single thing. Except for maybe Alex, but she's a free and independent woman and can make her own decisions. Thank you for reading!**

Before of any of them knew what was happening several vines shot out of the ground, grabbing Alex by the ankles and wrists and forcing her against an old tree. The vines around her wrists were so tight that they left her unable to reach her wand, which was in her back pocket. At the same time Harry was thrown against a statue of what seemed like the grim reaper, which raised its scythe and locked him in. Only Cedric remained unscathed and unbound. He raised his wand in alarm, seemingly ready to fight anyone who'd try. His eyes flinched nervously around the graveyard. Nobody had even had the time to think about where the cup had taken them. Alex caught Harry's eyes and knew he was thinking the same thing she was: something was horribly wrong.

The night was chilly and foggy, but that wasn't the reason this place made her shiver to the bone. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. The panic radiating from Cedric as well as Harry did nothing to calm her nerves.

The silence of the graveyard was suddenly broken by the sound of a creaking door not far from where they were.

Harry started shouting and screaming in pain. "Argh!" He squeezed his eyes firmly shut.

"Harry!" Cedric's eyes flickered to Harry and back to the figure that was approaching them, his wand still raised bravely. "Are you okay?"

Alex closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, as her mind ran a million miles an hour to figure out what the bloody hell was going on here. Her eyes flew open.

"Cedric, you have to get back to the cup." Alex urged Cedric.

Cedric looked at her, a deep frown written across his face. "What? What are you talking about?" he asked shakily, his dark eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Get. Back. To. The. Cup." She said more firmly this time, losing her patience. Time was running out.

As Cedric seemed to have no intention of leaving she shook her head in frustration. Harry was still moaning in pain on the background. Cedric turned his focus towards the dark figure again.

"Go now, Cedric." She almost begged him. "Look around you. It's clear they want me and Harry. If you don't leave now you will die."

She could read the fear on his features then. His wand was shaking, but still up. The figure was fast approaching as Cedric made his decision.

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?" he yelled across the graveyard, his voice echoing in the night.

Alex felt a shiver run through her spine when she heard a hoarse hissing voice that seemed to come out of a pile of blankets in the dark figure's arms. "Kill the spare." It was barely audible, but she felt a lump in her throat as she had to watch what was about to happen helplessly.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" the dark figure shouted. As the beam of green was shot at him, Cedric's eyes widened in shock and then into nothing.

His body fell to the ground with a thud. Alex' heart ached for the boy that wouldn't listen to her but had stayed to protect them.

"NO!" Harry cried frantically. "Cedric!" Tears were streaming down his face, which was already covered in blood, mud and sweat. He was still whimpering in pain. Alex wondered in what shape she would be if she left here alive tonight. She highly doubted it though. She clenched her jaw so hard she thought she was going to bite through her own teeth.

A large kettle, which no one had even noticed before that moment, was put on a fire. The fire was bright and hot. It made the graveyard look almost cosy, enveloped a warm orange hue.

The hooded man walked towards the kettle slowly, the pile of blankets still in his arms. Whatever had been in them was thrown in. Alex saw a flash of what seemed like a very wrinkled baby fall into the liquid. The bubbling sound it produced made her stomach churn in disgust.

She noticed she was shaking. It had been a long time since she had been this scared. She hated herself for feeling like this. Weak.

The man took his hood of. He was small, round and balding, with a face that could well be described as ratlike. His eyes were crazed as he made his way to the writhing Harry.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly taken." He stuttered. With a flick of his wand the grave beneath Harry's feet opened and a bone was lifted into the kettle. The liquid turned a dark grey color as the bone melted with a loud hiss.

The rat took out a knife. "Blood of the enemy, violently gotten." He almost whispered. He dragged the dagger across Harry's exposed forearm, dark red blood pouring over his already ripped and stained Triwizard Tenue. Harry had screamed so much that she didn't even hear him anymore. He was breathing heavily through his teeth.

Their eyes met and it was clear to them both at that moment how this was going to end. It was also clear that neither of them was willing to go down without a fight.

Alex' shaking only got worse as the man turned away from the kettle and finally came to her. She tried breaking loose, but to no avail. The man smiled at that. She was surprised when he walked up behind her and when he took one of her tied up hands. She balled them to fists.

"No, no, no." she said frantically, struggling against to rope in order to get away for whatever he was going to do. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she couldn't hear anything besides it. Her eyes were filled with panic as she tried to look behind her.

"Flesh of the offspring forcefully obtained." He finally said before Alex felt an intense pain in her left hand and then her whole left arm. She started screaming at the top of her lungs and then the world turned black.

Her vision returned blurrily when the kettle started bursting with light. Suddenly aware of where she was, the fear reappeared as fast as a slap in the face. She had hoped it had all been a bad dream.

The pain in her hand was still there, but less sharp then it had been before. She flexed her fingers, her hand slippery with her own blood. Something felt off. Alex started breathing heavily as the realization of what had happened hit her.

She didn't have time to think about it any further, because at that moment the kettle exploded and the bright light took the shape of a man. He didn't look like a man though. His skin was extremely pale, his features were snakelike and his eyes were bright red. The fear she saw in Harry's eyes made it clear whom she was looking at.

The newly born man graciously strode towards the rat.

"My wand, Wormtail." He said hoarsely.

As he took his wand he grabbed the rat's wrist and pressed his wand against the dark tattoo on his forearm.

Dark clouds appeared all around the graveyard. Only they weren't clouds, but people in masks.

Alex' breathing had calmed down. Panicking wasn't going to help anyone. She was determined to stay alive and in order to stay alive she had to focus.

The masked men stood around their Lord in silence. "Friends." The Dark Lord spoke, his voice more firm than she had heard before. "15 years it's been but here you are as if it were only yesterday."

The crowd remained quiet and impossibly still, like dark statues.

"I consider myself.." he continued. "Disappointed."

The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. Some of his followers shuffled around uneasily. Others looked at him intensely, but were too afraid to move.

"Not even a handful of you tried to find me." He hissed.

"My Lord." One of the followers started, while dropping to one knee. "If there had been any rumour of your whereabouts. A whisper.."

"There were whispers, my slippery friend." The Dark Lord interrupted sharply. "And plenty of rumours."

Lucius Malfoy was wise enough to divert his gaze to the ground.

Alex looked around the group. There were 12 of them, without including the Dark Lord and his pet rat. It wouldn't be easy to overpower them, but it wasn't impossible either.

Her eyes were caught by one of the followers, whose gaze was directed at her specifically. Their eyes met and Alex was met with the strangest sensation that she couldn't quite put her finger on. A shiver went down her spine and she felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. The follower's eyes narrowed suspiciously and then instantly looked away from her. The follower was smaller than the others.

"Bellatrix." The Dark Lord suddenly said affectionately, turning towards the follower that she just now had been looking at.

"Yes, my lord?" A sultry woman's voice replied eagerly while sinking to one knee.

"You have spent years trying to find me." He said while striding amongst the crowd. "And you only stopped looking because you were thrown in Azkaban. Is that correct?"

"It is, my lord." She almost purred without looking up.

He walked towards her, grabbed her chin gently and urged her to stand. With a wave of his wand the mask was removed. Alex almost stopped breathing for a second. The air seemed to have evaporated. The dark witch was stunning. Dark curls fell over her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. Her eyes were large and dark. Her lips full and plump. It was clear Azkaban had taken its toll on her, but that did nothing to diminish her absolute radiant beauty.

"You will be rewarded for your sacrifice like no other when we regain our power." He almost whispered to her.

Her eyes shone with nothing but devotion. "Thank you, My Lord." She said, bowing to him again.

The Dark Lord then turned to look at her and Harry, which was an indication for the rest of his following that they were allowed to shift their focus to them as well. She could feel the eyes prickle on her skin as she stood there tied up in her ripped shirt, bleeding; the most vulnerable she had ever been.

He walked towards her and grabbed her chin roughly, moving her face from side to side so he could examine it closely.

"What have we got here?" He said, something that resembled a smirk flashed across his face making him look incredibly scary.

"Such a pretty little thing you are." He added mockingly, his followers chuckled at that. "You do remind me of myself. Once, in another life." His eyes were ice cold as he said it. He took in every inch of her and stopped at her eyes. "You've got your mother's eyes." He told her then. There was an undertone of loathing is his voice that sent a shiver down her spine once again. His eyes flashed red.

She looked at him with barely concealed anger, sparks of magic prickling around her. "Yeeeeees." He hissed, circling her with a smirk. "That's more like it." It almost sounded proud.

He turned his back to her to face his audience. "Dear friends." He said, holding out his arms in a wide gesture. "May I introduce you to a very special guest this evening, without whom none of this would have been possible." She clenched her jaw. "My daughter. Alexandra." He said with a dark smirk, knowing she would hate it.

There were gasps of disbelief in the crowd. Bellatrix' eyes widened in shock and flickered between her and the Dark Lord.

She had never known her parents, but the people at the orphanage had always told her that her mother had been a lovely but desperate woman. They didn't know anything about her father. Alex had her ideas about the reasons for her mother's desperation so she had always thought the worst. 'The worst' however turned out to be a relative term, as she had never in her wildest dreams imagined it to be this bad. It did explain a lot though. She had always felt like a part of her was inherently evil. It was a part that she'd always repressed and would always repress.

The Dark Lord leaned over her and placed a kiss on top of her head looking triumphantly as he mockingly said: "Welcome home." It made her feel sick.

She closed her eyes and tried to channel her feelings, all of the emotions she was feeling right now. In the meantime the Dark Lord moved along.

When he reached Cedric's body he moved his head from side to side with his foot. "Ah, such a shame." He said sarcastically. "Such a beautiful boy. Gone too soon." The crowd started laughing.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM." Harry yelled violently.

Voldemort's smirk widened. "Oh, I almost forgot you were here." The Dark Lord started taunting.

Alex blocked them out while she was starting to formulate a plan. It was crystal clear that the Dark Lord intended to kill Harry. Killing him would prove his superiority once and for all. There was also no way they were going to let her go. The best thing she could do was to give Harry a chance to get back to the cup, which meant she had to create a diversion. When she opened her eyes again the first thing she saw were two black eyes looking straight at her filled with barely contained curiosity.

At that moment the Dark Lord released Harry from his father's grave in order to duel him.

"Pick up your wand, Harry." He said cheerfully. "Go on! Pick up, pick up."

The crowd starting laughing and cheering him on.

"Go on." He urged, but as Harry reached for his wand he shouted "Crucio!"

Harry started writhing on the ground, screaming his lungs out once again. Her blood turned to ice at the sound, but the Dark Lord's followers were getting very wild just looking at it. When it was over Harry struggled to his feet and quickly hid behind a gravestone.

It was now or never. Harry Potter, the world's golden boy, sat safely behind that gravestone but if she didn't act he would be dead within minutes. Alex closed her eyes and focused on Harry like it was the last thing she'd ever do. The message she sent him was clear "Take Cedric, accio the cup and get out. I'll distract them."

Harry looked at her from behind the gravestone and shook his head eyes wide and pained, not wanting to leave her behind.

She looked at him then and without having to use Legilimency he knew what she was saying. "Do it or you'll die."

There was hesitation in his eyes, but finally ever so slightly he nodded.

"Come out Potter!" The Dark Lord screamed manically, his followers eager to see blood. "I want to see the lights fade from your eyes."

Suddenly a spell was casted at the Dark Lord himself, which he easily deflected. The whole graveyard turned silent like the grave. Every Death Eater looking at the shaking hand of one of their own holding up the wand that had just fired a spell at their Lord. He looked as surprised as everyone about firing it in the first place.

Then all of a sudden more Death Eaters were raising their wands at their Lord.

"My Lord, I don't know what is happening." One muttered shakily.

"I'm not doing it, My Lord." Another screamed desperately. "I swear it!"

Voldemort himself looked confused as well. It didn't look too good on him.

The only one who hadn't raised her wand like the rest of the Death Eaters was Bellatrix. She looked over at Alex questioningly, seemingly guessing what was happening. She was smart enough though to find cover.

All at once the wands started firing. The Dark Lord started shielding himself from all the incoming attacks, but there were some nasty spells being thrown at him. His followers were beyond themselves with fear. They were screaming, some were even crying that they weren't in control. They were pleading with him not to hurt them as they fired off spell after spell. Meanwhile the Dark Lord's temper rose to extreme limits. Alex could feel him getting near the edge. He was very close to losing it.

As another wave of attacks started coming in he'd finally had enough.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" He hissed not one, not two, but six times.

He was absolutely seething by the time six of his followers lay dead at his feet. His eyes were mad with rage and more red than ever. The five followers that were still present on this earth were finally able to lower their wands. Trembling in fear one of them fell to his knees.

"My Lord." He whimpered. "I beg for forgiveness."

"CRUCIO!" The Dark Lord thundered. The man screamed and screamed.

No one seemed to notice that Alex had finally escaped from her bounds. She sat hidden on the other side of the graveyard. Harry had luckily listened to her and should be back safely at Hogwarts by now. She was glad she didn't have to face the drama of the reaction to Cedric's lifeless body. Small victories.

She closed her eyes. She didn't think she'd ever been this tired in her life. Controlling the minds and bodies of 11 adult wizards hadn't exactly been a walk in the park.

"Where's Potter?" The Dark Lord seethed, which was her que to start moving. It wouldn't take long for him to realize what had happened.

"He.." one of the survivors started to speak. "He took the body and the cup, My Lord."

"I saw him disappear too, My Lord." Malfoy said begrudgingly.

Voldemort let out an animalistic roar of frustration before turning around to see a blood smeared tree where his daughter used to be.

"Where is the girl?" He then hissed, pointing at the tree.

"I saw her after Potter had gone, My Lord." Lucius Malfoy immediately replied, eager to please his Lord. "The boy has left her. She has no way of leaving."

"FIND HER." He hissed. "And bring her to me."

Everyone left to search for Alex, except for Bellatrix.

"What do you think just happened, Bella?" he asked her softly.

Bellatrix looked at him and pursed her lips. "I believe we may have underestimated how much power the girl inherited, My Lord."

A spark of pride flashed in his eyes.

"She could be a great addition to our forces." Bellatrix added hungrily.

He turned away without answering, lost in his own thoughts.

A few feet away his daughter took a deep breath and fixated all of her remaining magic and energy on getting as far away as possible.


	2. Chapter 2: What comes after

Before she knew what was happening her world started spinning and she had the awful feeling of being pushed down a drain. There was only one word left in her mind. Hogwarts.

She landed in front of the large gate, but as her feet touched the ground her side started burning like she was being split apart. Alex put her hands to her side and noticed that she was bleeding profusely.

"Oh." She whispered shakily, looking at her blood covered hands. She raised her wand into the sky. "Periculum." She managed to make out, her voice cracking as red sparks shot out of her wand.

Alex sank to her knees, unable to stand. It was a nice night, she thought while falling backwards onto the ground. She was drifting on the edge of unconsciousness. It was the kind of night that was perfect for a nice walk around the lake, enjoying the smell of nature and the sight of the stars. She looked at the stars then. It wouldn't be so terrible to die here, in front of the place she loved.

She vaguely heard footsteps, but she was just too tired to take notice.

"Stay awake, Thompson." A harsh voice ordered, while mumbling incantations and waving his wand over her wounds.

She whimpered in pain as people started putting pressure on her side. Her eyes rolled back into her head and the feeling of wanting to sleep was just too overwhelming.

"If you go to sleep I will extract three hundred points from Slytherin, damn it." He joked with her as they often did, but she could hear the concern clear in his voice. "Alex." Her urged.

"She needs a blood replenishing potion, Severus." Madam Pomfrey said. "We have to move her."

The next thing she knew she was floating through the air. The only thing keeping her awake were Professor Snape's hand holding hers a little too tight and the sight of the stars above her.

They rushed her towards the Hospital Wing, which was packed with people supporting Harry.

Harry jumped up at the sight of her. "Alex!" he yelled.

"Step. Back. Potter." Snape hissed. "You have done enough for one night."

Sirius took Harry by the arm, who looked like he had just been slapped in the face, and held him back. Sirius' eyes however were looking eagerly at the curtain behind which Alex had just disappeared.

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When she woke up it felt like her body had been run over by a truck. Opening her eyes wasn't an easy task, but when she finally did she took in her surroundings. She was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, that was for sure. She saw that the curtains were closed, which meant she had been seriously hurt when she was brought in. Not that she needed the curtains to tell her that much, the feeling in her body was proof enough. Professor Snape was sitting in a chair next to her bed. He didn't notice her eyes being open, instead he was staring into nothing seemingly lost in thought.

"Professor." She said, almost inaudibly. Her voice was hoarse. It had been a really rough night.

His eyes snapped out of the trance and looked at Alex. She could be wrong but she thought she saw a flicker of relief in his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, sarcasm clear in his voice.

She managed half a smile. "Spectacular." She croaked.

He lifted the right corner of his mouth in what could be described as a Snape-smile. "I should give you a life time of detention for your stupidity." He said. "I told you not to do anything foolish."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Telling Potter to leave without you.." He continued. "How very Gryffindor of you." He sneered.

"If there had been any other option I wouldn't have done it." She said, looking away.

He looked at her then, searching her eyes for something. Anything.

"The Headmaster wanted to talk to yourself and Mr. Potter as soon as you woke up." He said. "However I can tell him you're still sleeping."

"No, it's okay." She said, grimacing in pain as she tried to get up. "Let's get this over with."

The Hospital Wing was quiet now. She struggled as she tried to walk. Her Head of House said nothing instead offering his arm to lean on. They made their way to the Headmaster's office in silence.

Professor Snape knocked on the Headmaster's door.

"Come in." A gentle voice inside called out to them.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, hands folded in front of him. As always he was the epitome of peace. The office had remained exactly the same as it had been every other time she'd been there except of course for the age of Fawkes, his pet Phoenix, which varied between ugly baby bird and burned to a crisp.

Harry was sitting in front of the desk. His father James and godfather Sirius stood behind him, both looking very tense.

As soon as Sirius saw her he rushed over and tried to hug her. "Are you okay?" He asked, but he let go immediately as Alex winced in pain.

"Back off, Black." Snape said coldly. "She's injured enough as it is."

Sirius grinded his teeth in anger. "Mind your own business, Snivellus." He spat back.

"I am." Snape growled.

The tension in the room was getting pretty heated, but then Dumbledore stood up. "Gentlemen, I think we can all agree there are more pressing matters to attend to." He said with a sad smile.

He looked at Alex and smiled sympathetically. "Ms. Thomspon." He said and gestured to the seat next to Harry's. "Please take a seat."

Alex looked at Harry briefly as she sat down. He looked about as bad as she felt.

James Potter caught her eye and gave her a small smile. The feel of the room was grim, seeing as nobody felt very cheerful considering the circumstances. She noticed two other figures in the corner of the room. Professor McGonagall gave her a sort of sad nod. Next to her stood the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who eyed Alex suspiciously.

"Now that we're all here, I'd like to hear from you two exactly what happened during and after the third task of the TriWizard Tournament."

Alex clenched her jaw, not really able to speak. Luckily, Harry started telling them about the three Hogwarts champions teaming up inside the maze and the challenges they faced together. He told them that the cup was a portkey which led them to the graveyard.

"Alex told Cedric to leave." He croaked. "She told him he would die if he stayed."

Dumbledore looked at her, but didn't ask the obvious question: How did she know?

Harry proceeded to tell them about the ritual.

"He needed us." He said, voice cold. "Bone of the father. Blood of the enemy." Harry showed them the wound on his arm.

Alex tensed up. She felt Snape's hand on her shoulder. It was comforting to know he was there right behind her.

"He.." Harry started, eyes flicking towards Alex not sure whether to continue. "He needed flesh of his.."

He fell silent.

"His what?" Fudge asked, suddenly very eager.

"Flesh of the offspring." Alex said. The hand on her shoulder tensed up, gripping her a little harder than was intended. "I'm his daughter." She added, voice void of emotion.

She could hear several people gasp. She guessed that would be the standard response from now on.

Dumbledore looked at her questioningly. As if he suddenly saw something he should have seen before.

"That can't be true." Sirius said. "That's not possible." He kept saying, shaking his head.

Alex held up her left hand. The place where her little finger had once been was now empty.

A wave of shock went through the room.

"For Merlin's sake." James cursed under his breath. "They're just kids.."

She could almost hear Snape clench his jaw in anger. Sirius was pacing through the room, still shaking his head.

"What happened next?" Dumbledore asked calmly, seemingly unfazed by the revelations.

"His Death Eaters arrived." Harry said.

"How many were there?" McGonagall asked him.

Harry just shook his head, not knowing the answer.

"12." Alex said. "They were wearing masks. We couldn't see their faces."

"Lucius Malfoy was there." Harry said angrily. "I would recognize him anywhere."

Harry told them about the torture he had to endure and how he thought he was going to do right then and there. The tears were once again rolling down his face.

James put an arm around his son's shoulder. "It's okay, Harry." He said soothingly. "You're safe now."

"How did you escape, Harry?" Fudge asked him eagerly, clearly expecting a very heroic story.

Harry looked at her once again, searching for some kind of approval. Alex just stared at the books in Dumbledore's bookcase not saying anything.

"Alex.." He furrowed his brow. "Well, I heard Alex' voice in my head. She said she would create a distraction and that I should take Cedric's body and leave with the portkey."

She could feel Snape's anger at him leaving her behind. She laid her hand on his hand before he could say or do anything. It seemed to help, even if it was just a little. Sirius glared at Snape from across the room.

"Then suddenly one of the Death Eaters threw a spell at Voldemort." The room winced at the mention of that name. "But it didn't seem like he'd wanted to do it."

Harry shook his head in confusion again.

"Suddenly all Death Eaters aimed their wands at him and started firing spells. They were all screaming they were sorry." Harry said. "That's when I took my chance and left." He looked at the ground in shame.

Dumbledore seemed to be the only one who understood what this meant. Nobody dared to say anything.

"Ms. Thompson." Dumbledore said, looking her directly in the eye. "Would you be so kind to fill us in from this point onwards?"

Alex clenched her jaw and stayed silent for a while. She sighed. "He killed them." She barely made out.

"He killed who?" The Headmaster inquired.

"Six of his own." Alex looked at the ground and continued. "In the chaos I managed to break free and hide. They started looking for me and then I disapparated." She told them as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"You managed to reach your wand when you were tied up?" McGonagall asked.

"No." She didn't elaborate.

"What happened next?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well I splinched, obviously." Alex replied clearly agitated.

"Alex." Sirius said warningly.

Alex shot up then. "May I be excused?" she asked, teeth clenched. "It has been a rough night and I'd like to sleep."

Dumbledore stared at her for a second but then conceded. "Of course, rest up."

She walked away with a slight limp.

"Here, let me help you." Sirius said, as he hurried to her side.

"NO." She snapped. "No." she then said a little softer as she saw his worried face. "I'm fine."


	3. Chapter 3: What do we do

As she slowly walked down the stairs she could hear Fudge talking about her. She could vaguely hear the words 'danger to society' and 'liability' being said. Honestly she couldn't blame them for feeling that way, but it still hurt to hear it.

Hogwarts' hallways were empty, thank Merlin. Alex was glad she could enjoy the peace the dark castle provided her at this moment. She didn't dare think about what could have happened tonight. Finally she allowed her feelings to run free for the first time since the graveyard. There was no stopping the salty tears that were running down her cheeks.

Alex realized she was alone now. A refugee between the light and the dark in a war that would probably be the nastiest in wizarding history. The stakes were high. It was better for everyone if she'd remain neutral.

Her future was now as unpredictable as could be. She couldn't stay with Sirius anymore, him being the epic warrior of the light. He wouldn't understand and couldn't understand what was inside her.

The thrill she had felt as she saw those six people fall down like puppets disgusted her to her core. That was not how she wanted to be, but apparently who she was all the same.

Alex finally made it to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey was ready to scold her for walking that long after almost dying a few hours earlier. She didn't mind. She crawled into bed and closed the curtains around her. She stared at the ceiling until she drifted into a deep slumber.

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The following days were almost exactly the same. Alex had told Madam Pomfrey that she didn't want to talk to anyone. Not that she needed Pomfrey to keep people away. Everyone was avoiding her like the plague. Every time Harry had visitors they made sure not to look in her general direction. Except for Hermione, who's eyes landed on her every so often, a pained expression on her face.

The countless of owls sent by Sirius were left unanswered. She had absolutely no intention of putting him in danger like that. He would understand eventually. He'd have to.

It was clear that her fellow Slytherin's wanted nothing to do with her either. Sure enough people now knew she was the Dark Lord's daughter, which caused people in her house to look at her with a certain fear and respect. But at the same time she had probably indirectly killed some of her housemate's fathers. Needless to say; she wasn't the most popular person at the moment.

Alex preferred it this way. Everyone was looking at her but no one was actually _watching _her, which was perfect because she needed training. And lots of it too. Her injuries had left her weak. She had depleted most of her magical reserves during the night at the graveyard. Madam Pomfrey had told her the only way to build them up again was gradually or risk hurting herself again.

There was only one week left at Hogwarts and she couldn't wait to get away for a little while. The stares and whispers were driving her bonkers. Alex had a new found respect for Harry for dealing with it all those years.

To avoid the eyes Alex ate her meals alone, often avoiding the Great Hall altogether. She went to sleep early or very late so she wouldn't run into anyone. During classes Alex didn't have to do anything, seeing as people were already keeping some distance between themselves and her.

She'd often sit in Snape's classroom if he didn't have classes to teach. She would do her homework and he would grade papers. They worked in a comfortable silence. Alex not feeling the need to talk and Snape not wanting to scare her away by asking.

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Severus knew better than to use legilimency on the girl. He'd tried once when she was a first year, as he had done with countless of other students before. Alex however had noticed straight away that somebody had tried to invade her mind and had blocked the intrusion so ferociously that it had hurt his head. It had taken months for her mental walls to weaken slightly. Even in her calm state Severus was only barely able to read her emotions if he was lucky.

Sometimes he wondered to what extent her mental capabilities actually reached. After her account of the night at the graveyard he had started speculating that perhaps so much more was possible than they had always assumed. It seemed absurd to think that anyone, let alone a teenager, was capable of controlling the bodies of several full grown wizards with just her mind. However that was exactly what had happened. She'd never confirmed it, but Dumbledore was certain.

It put all of the people in Dumbledore's office in an awkward situation. The Minister of Magic immediately started sputtering about locking her up right then and there, which was met with a heavy reaction by Sirius. Much to Sirius' surprise James seemed to side with Fudge.

"You must be _joking_." Sirius spat incredulously. "This is the girl who spent summers playing Quidditch with Harry!"

James clenched his jaw. "She is also the daughter of the darkest wizard in human history." James said darkly. "And by the sounds of it she is the most powerful Legilimens alive."

"Powers she used to _save your son_ by sacrificing herself!" Sirius thundered, throwing his arms up.

James composure changed into something that resembled cold fury. "And what if she decides to side with her father one day?" he hissed. "It's clear he wants Harry, _your godson_, dead. He'll use her as a weapon and a powerful weapon at that. I have to do what is best for Harry. It's what Lily would have wanted." He concluded softly, his voice full of emotion.

Severus tensed up when he said Lily's name. He didn't want to think about what Lily would have wanted if she were still here. It didn't matter. She wasn't here anymore. But if she were he couldn't imagine Lily locking an innocent girl up just for being born to the wrong parents. He kept quiet.

"You can't lock her up for something she hasn't even done." Sirius said, his voice desperate.

Dumbledore intervened. "No one is going to lock her up, Sirius." He said soothingly, to Fudge's surprise. "We do however need to keep a close eye on her."

He looked at Severus expectantly. "Severus?" Dumbledore knew Snape could never refuse.

"Of course, Headmaster." He replied without much enthusiasm.

The only problem was that it was impossible to keep track of the girl. He had been her head of house for four years now. He could confidently say he knew her better than almost anyone, but she was still a mystery to him. She could disappear for hours on end, only to show up like nothing had happened. He couldn't ask her about her whereabouts either because that would be out of character and in turn would alert her that she was being watched. She would run, like a scared animal, never to be seen again.

It was really difficult for him to phantom the kind of power residing in such a young girl, he thought while looking at her sitting there writing an essay. He wondered if she was aware of the power she possessed. As if reading his mind her hazel eyes snapped up and met his. They sat like that for a second before she clenched her jaw and continued working.


	4. Chapter 4: Where to go

Alex' way back to London was uneventful to say the least. She had a carriage all to herself, seeing as no one dared coming near her.

Harry, Ron and Hermione passed by her carriage. Harry gave her an awkward smile and nod through the window. Hermione looked at her and stopped in front of the door for a second, seemingly hesitating whether to go in and say something. Alex looked at her questioningly through the glass, lowering her book and raising both eyebrows. Hermione's cheeks flushed red and she clearly decided against it in the end as she hurried away to catch up with her friends.

It stung. She had thought that Hermione of all people would not be prejudiced against her. There had always been a strong competition between Hermione and Alex over the years. They were both seen as the brightest witches of their age; Hermione learning everything from her precious books and Alex being insanely gifted with magical abilities. Time and time again they challenged each other and forced the other to do even better and to work harder. It was what had made most classes as enjoyable as they were. They both had an insatiable desire to learn, unlike most of their classmates. Last year they had developed a friendship that stood on the edge of blossoming into something even more. It was something that Alex valued above all else. She shook her head to get rid of the feeling. There was nothing to be done.

As the train started to pull into King's Cross Station it was getting dark. She deliberately took her time leaving the train as to avoid running into Sirius, who undoubtedly would be searching for her because she had never replied to his letters.

As she exited the train she could see Harry, Ron and Hermione greet their parents up ahead. Sirius was standing next to James, scanning the crowd, desperate for a glimpse of her. Alex felt a pang of guilt but she quickly reminded herself that it had to be this way.

She swiftly made her way through the portal and into the muggle train station. She had to take a muggle train to reach her destination.

With her last muggle money she bought a ticket to the countryside just west of London, which would take her approximately 2,5 hours. After that she had to walk.

It was raining outside. A typical summer's rain. The dark countryside and the tapping of the rain against the window soothed her. She was watching the rain drops slide down. It calmed the gnawing feeling she had about leaving the only person that cared about her behind. Alex couldn't shake the feeling that she was making a huge mistake. That she should take the first train back to King's Cross and walk her favourite route towards the only home she'd ever known.

Of course she knew those were her stupid feelings playing tricks on her. What was best for her wasn't best for Sirius and she'd do anything to protect him. Even if it meant shutting him out.

She leaned her head against the cold window and closed her eyes.

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The rain had gotten exceedingly worse after a few minutes of walking. She didn't have a map and only had a general idea of where to go. She'd been there before of course but never by train, never in the pouring rain and never at night.

It was nearing midnight when she finally knocked on the door of the small cottage.

It took a while for someone to answer, probably because everyone had been fast asleep until five minutes before.

The door creaked open and a very sleepy looking Andromeda Tonks came out, wand raised as if expecting a fight.

When she saw the soaked and shaking girl her eyes softened. "Alex.." she said, it almost sounded like a question. She lowered her wand, but only slightly.

"Shouldn't you be checking if I really am Alex before you lower your wand?" Alex asked shakily. "I suppose that's protocol?"

Andromeda furrowed her brow. "Protocol of what?" she asked unconvincingly.

"You tell me." Alex said with a small smile.

Andromeda's eyes were full of emotion. She looked at Alex, hesitating whether she should ask.

"How do we know each other?" She finally asked softly.

"Your cousin, Sirius Black, called you in during the summer two years ago to help heal the wounds on my back. It took you several weeks to reduce the intensity of the scarring, for which I am forever grateful." Alex said matter of fact like.

Andromeda winced, as if being reminded of something she really wanted to forget. She then grabbed Alex into a tight hug. "Come here, you silly girl." She whispered into Alex' wet hair.

Alex closed her eyes and tried very hard not to cry, only to fail.

"Come in, come in." Andy said, wiping away a single tear from her own face. "You must be freezing."

Alex shrugged, but she could feel the cold seep deep into her bones with every passing second.

Andromeda made her way down the hallway and out of sight, leaving Alex dripping on the doorstep. A few seconds later Andy reappeared. "I'm running you a bath." She said. "We can talk afterwards."

Her eyes were so kind and loving it made Alex want to cry all over again. She shook her head. She was a wreck.

"You don't have to go through all this trouble for me." Alex said sheepishly. "I don't want to wake anyone."

Andy smiled softly as she stroked Alex' cheek. "It's no trouble at all, dear." She said before walking away again. "Besides, there is nobody home to wake!" She shouted from the kitchen.

Alex took off her wet shoes and walked into the living room. The cottage reminded her of a wooden cabin. The dark wooden floor, red plaid blankets and green couch gave the Tonks' home a very cosy and homely feel.

"This way." Andy said, guiding her to the bathroom.

The bathroom fit the rest of the house perfectly. It was small, but cosy. Like organized chaos. The tiles on the floor were black and white and the walls were covered with oak boards. There were a lot of potions on the numerous shelves, along with some plants. Andromeda had lit some candles on the edge of the bath.

Alex started taking off her clothes, which wasn't easy because she was shaking like a leaf and her side was burning like crazy. She had probably slightly overdone it.

Andromeda walked over. "Come here." She said, helping her out of her wet clothes.

Andy said nothing but her eyes travelled across the fresh wound that ran from Alex' ribs to her right hip. She didn't say anything about the weight she'd obviously lost during the last year. The finger she was missing on her left hand was noticed, but nevertheless remained unmentioned. Andromeda's face however spoke volumes.

Andromeda was close to her. Close enough to smell the subtle hints of warmth and fresh flowers that radiated from her. She smelled like the first traces of spring mixed together into a single scent.

She looked at Andy closely then, for the first time. She could now see how much Andy resembled her Death Eater sister. The only differences being that Andy's features were less sharp and her hair was chocolate brown instead of pitch black.

Andromeda looked up, suddenly aware that she was being watched. Her eyes searched Alex' face before snapping out of it.

"Right." Andy said, eyes looking anywhere else. "I'll leave you to it."

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Andy had left one of Tonks' pyjamas for her. When she stepped into the kitchen again Alex felt as good as new, sort of. Andy was holding a cup of tea in front of her face, eyes staring at the rain splattering against the small kitchen window. She looked troubled.

There was a cup of tea on the kitchen table waiting for her. She took it and sat down at the large oaken table on one of the many coloured chairs, sipping the hot soothing liquid gently.

"Does Sirius know you're here?" Andy asked without looking at her.

"He doesn't." Alex replied. "Nobody does."

Andromeda turned around to look at her then. Alex had the feeling that the woman could look into her very soul. "What happened to you?" Andy asked softly.

Alex clenched her jaw, tensing up entirely. "You already know what happened." She said. "I suppose Dumbledore has briefed all the members of the light side."

Andy pursed her lips. "I want to hear your side." She urged.

"I can't talk about it." Alex said in a small voice. "Not right now."

Andy nodded in understanding. "You don't have to." She said. "Just know that you can if you ever want to."

Alex sighed. "I couldn't go back to Sirius." She told Andy, while looking at her mug. "He wouldn't understand."

"Understand what?" Andy asked, brows furrowed.

"That sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't escape what's inside of you."

Andy didn't reply, but something shifted in her eyes. She was gripping her mug a little too tight.

"He would've told me that every person can choose who they want to be." Alex continued. "Like he did when he ran away from home."

Andy stayed quiet, so she continued. "He would've never understood that there are parts of me that are predetermined. Things I can suppress but never lose."

She looked Andy straight in the eye then. Andy pursed her lips.

"I think you should get some rest." She said as she got up, not meeting Alex' eyes. "You can sleep in Dora's old room."

Alex didn't sleep well that night. Like every night the last couple of weeks she awoke gasping for air and bathing in sweat.


End file.
